Culture Wars Around the World: Evangelism’s Impact in Uganda on LGBT Rights

Last updated on: April 22, 2014 at 8:21 pm By Padma Kuppa

There is no one collective Hindu view of most things, but I think many of us agree on the challenges caused to the pluralistic Hindu worldview by predatory proselytization. Be it in America, India or elsewhere, my colleagues at the Hindu American Foundation and I don’t hesitate to speak out about human rights violations caused when there is an abuse of power. Below, Harsh Voruganti, Associate Director of Public Policy, gives voice to our concern about the anti-gay laws passed recently... Read more

Books, Lies and Videotape: Wendy Doniger’s Misrepresentations about Hindu History

Last updated on: April 22, 2014 at 8:22 pm By Padma Kuppa

I am a big fan of public funding for various things – public education, public television, and public radio. And I am usually impressed with the way National Public Radio ((NPR) presents news, providing a multifaceted and balanced perspective on the news – the underlying dharma or justice of presenting more than one perspective is very much in line with the pluralism that is inherent in the way that I live my day to day life. No one way is... Read more

Accepting an Inclusive Identity: On Being an Indian-American Hindu

Last updated on: January 11, 2018 at 10:35 am By Padma Kuppa

I am a product of two republics: born in India, raised in America, I typically celebrate my American national identity through holidays such as the Fourth of July because I am a naturalized US citizen. So I didn’t think to get involved when a celebration of India’s Republic Day here in Michigan included Miss America – even though I share her cultural and linguistic identity as a Telugu-speaking Indian-American. But I wondered what my friends of Indian origin do, and... Read more

Celebrating the Legacy of MLK Jr. with Empathy, to Ensure Equality

Last updated on: February 27, 2015 at 9:43 pm By Padma Kuppa

Equality is what is taught in all our traditions – we must move beyond the divisions created by caste and race. In 2012, I was honored by the City of Troy to have the opportunity to speak about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and welcome everyone to the annual celebration that we organize in our community to reflect on where we are today and where we need to go. This year’s celebration starts off with a welcome... Read more

“Coalition Against Genocide” Seeks to Stifle Debate

Last updated on: January 8, 2014 at 7:41 am By Padma Kuppa

The latter part of 2013 was largely taken up by my trying to ensure that a Hindu voice was part of the American mix – be it in interfaith, public policy, whatever. A guest post from my fellow-Hindu American Foundation member Raman Khanna, of HAF’s Executive Council, expresses clearly where we at the Foundation and others stand, defending our right to a seat at the table. Let us hope that we can move forward in 2014, and get beyond the... Read more

Faith in the Public Square: Inclusive or Exclusive?

Last updated on: November 26, 2013 at 10:10 pm By Padma Kuppa

In recent weeks, several high-profile religious leaders—including Pope Francis, Billy Graham, and Russell Moore—have expressed concern that churches can get so involved with controversial social and political causes that other important aspects of ministry are neglected, relationships suffer, and basic common teachings are overshadowed. Is it time for faith leaders to tone down the activism and pull back from engaging in contentious “culture wars”? As a Board member of the the Hindu American Foundation, a 10-year old advocacy organization, and... Read more

Gadadhara Pandit Dasa Shares His Journey in Urban Monk

Last updated on: October 7, 2013 at 12:41 pm By Padma Kuppa

Gadadhara Pandit Dasa shares his story in Urban Monk: Exploring Karma, Consciousness, and the Divine as he chronicles his experiences from young Hindu, Indian-immigrant child struggling to fit in to America, to a simple Hindu monk working to help people find spiritual meaning in life. At the suggestion of a friend, reluctant to write as he had never kept a regular diary, he realized the value of meditating on his life’s journey and the challenges that brought him to embrace the life... Read more

Avoiding Rock Bottom by Advocating for Peace

Last updated on: January 17, 2014 at 11:07 pm By Padma Kuppa

Faith in god has always been a part of my life, and particularly has sustained me during the most difficult periods. Having faith in something, being able to focus on a favored deity, an ishta devata, as many Hindus do, has helped me through times of emotional and physical distress. So I was really glad to see that Karen Beattie’s Rock-Bottom Blessings: Discovering God’s Abundance When All Seems Lost, was featured in the Patheos Book Club this month. Thirteen years... Read more

Ending Violence with Guns

Last updated on: January 11, 2018 at 10:33 am By Padma Kuppa

This week, I had a moment of near deja vu. It was more than 8 years ago that I first offered to participate in a prayer event in Troy, MI and was denied. It was the City’s 2004 National Day of Prayer event. Fortunately, the mayor welcomed me during her opening remarks, and I was able to offer a prayer of well-being for our community. This year, a church in our community is organizing an ecumenical prayer vigil in memory of gun... Read more

Ending Violence Against Women

Last updated on: December 28, 2017 at 12:36 pm By Padma Kuppa

Be it India or America, as the great Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda said, “The best thermometer to the progress of a nation is its treatment of its women.” There are few events in history that can wake up an entire nation out of complacency. The horrific rape and resulting death of the 23-year-old woman in Delhi has been such an event. As frustrated and saddened as I am over the violence and violation so many women have faced, I am... Read more